Greenbelt Walk: Staten Island -- Cross-Jersey Challenge

Start: Elizabeth Public Library 11 S Broad St Elizabeth NJ 07202

Finish: NY Penn Station

Distance: 23-26mi

Where to find us: In front of the library

Optional endpoints: World Trade Center PATH

Terrain: flat but rugged dirt trails, pavement, beach, boardwalk

Transit: NJ Transit to Elizabeth Station, walk three blocks south on Broad St

Return: NJ Transit or Path train

Difficulty: Advanced

Category: nature, urban, seashore

Coordinator: Charles Updike

Join us on this scenic and colorful marathon walk to complete our trek across New Jersey. We start three blocks from the train station, where parking is available. Walk along the Elizabeth River and across the Goethals Bridge with views of Manhattan. A rambling trail with easy terrain, which can have a few muddy spots, takes us to the beachfront of Staten Island. A walk along the beach and through the park leads us under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and into the fascinating relic that is Fort Wadsworth. A trip up Bay Avenue ends at the Staten Island Ferry and a free ride into Lower Manhattan. A walk along the Hudson River, with optional visits to the World Trade Center and the High Line, finishes at Midtown and Penn Station.

This is a beautiful walk for those not able to complete the 50-mile Big Walk beyond Elizabeth or Newark. If you are unable to complete this one, you can finish three miles early at the PATH station. There are also many bus stops along the way on Staten Island with buses to the ferry.

Highlights

- Elizabeth River Parkway

- Goethals Bridge

- Willowbrook Park

- Staten Island Greenbelt

- Cedar Grove Beach

- FDR Boardwalk and Beach

- Midland Beach

- South Beach

- Fort Wadsworth

- Verrazano Narrows Bridge

- Bay Avenue shops

- Staten Island Ferry

- Battery Park

- World Trade Center

- Hudson River Greenway

- High Line